Legislators request captain's release

KITTERY — State Rep. Deane Rykerson, D-Kittery, and 40 other House members have petitioned the Russian governmment to release the captain and crew of the Greenpeace ship, the Arctic Sunrise.

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By Deborah McDermott

seacoastonline.com

By Deborah McDermott

Posted Oct. 2, 2013 at 2:00 AM

By Deborah McDermott

Posted Oct. 2, 2013 at 2:00 AM

» Social News

KITTERY — State Rep. Deane Rykerson, D-Kittery, and 40 other House members have petitioned the Russian governmment to release the captain and crew of the Greenpeace ship, the Arctic Sunrise.

Rykerson is a friend of the ship's captain, Peter Willcox, who along with his crew was ordered held by Russian authorities last week on charges of piracy. The crew was staging a protest at a drilling platform in the Arctic.

Willcox this year married a woman from Islesboro off the coast of Belfast, Maine.

Rykerson said he first met Willcox in the 1970s when they both worked aboard the Hudson River sloop Clearwater, launched by environmental activist and musician Pete Seeger.

Rykerson, an architect, said he built Willcox' bunk aboard the Greenpeace ship the Rainbow Warrior, which Willcox also captained. The Rainbow Warrior was sunk off the coast of New Zealand by the French Foreign Intelligence Service.

He said he mostly stays in touch with Willcox now through Willcox's blog written in connection with his work on the Arctic Sunrise.

The Arctic Sunrise was boarded by Russian athorities last week and impounded. Willcox is one of 30 crewmembers in Russian detention, where they are expected to remain for two months.

Rykerson said when he saw the crew behind bars, "I said we should do whatever we can do." On Friday, he sent out an email to all Democratic members of the House, and by Monday morning had 40 representatives willing to sign their name to a letter.

The signatories said they are "deeply troubled" by the Russians' actions in capturing the ship.

"We deeply object to the contigued detention of these peaceful protesters in your country without any charges being filed against them," the letter states. "We ask that they be released immediately."

Among those signing the letter are state Reps. Bobbi Beavers, D-South Berwick/Eliot, and Paul McGowan, D-York.